The OARC Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) training course on May 24-25, 2025 delivered two days of classroom and hands-on learning about how to prepare for and participate effectively in providing radio-communications support during an emergency or natural disaster.
The course was delivered by instructor Lance Peterson VA3LP at Scouts Headquarters. There were 22 participants of varying levels of experience: some newer Amateur Radio operators, some volunteers from our partner organization West Carleton Disaster Relief, and some experienced hams who have been providing radio-communications support to community events for many years.
Participants learned about the roles and responsibilities of the ARES Organization. They also learned about different types of deployment kits and which ones to use to remain self-sufficient for deployments of varying durations. This segment of the course also covered preparing for personal needs in these situations, such as clothing, prescriptions, first aid, food and shelter.
The course included a detailed description of the minimum versus ideal radio setups for different types of deployments. Students also practiced using radio equipment to improve their ability to solve technical problems under pressure, which can sometimes be required in the field.
Course participants learned what happens at Net Control and walked through operating etiquette and radio procedures. Participants were then put into teams and dispatched to 12 operating locations within simplex range (the distance you can communicate directly, without a repeater, using the same frequency for transmitting and receiving). This deployed exercise lasted almost two hours.
After this, Lance presided over an after-action review session to explore what went well and what could have been better. We did have a number of participants who only had a 5-watt handheld transceiver. These radios were fine for the training, but would not be sufficient in most situations for a real deployment. To address this during the hands-on exercise, teams were put together to ensure a 25-watt mobile radio was available at each checkpoint.
This course is a starting point for a life-long journey of providing radio-communications support to our served agencies. We hope to see many of the new ARES-trained Amateur Radio operators getting involved at our community events in the near future.
Last Updated on 2025-05-27 by Joannadanna